One Shuaibu, 37, who resides on Kalejaiye Street in
the Oke Ona community, Ikorodu area of Lagos State
yesterday got drowned while digging a well.
The victim alongside two others were contracted to
dig a well for a building which was under
construction when the disaster occurred.
While digging the well, the victim became tired in the
process and as a result, got trapped inside.
It was learnt that all effort by the residents to
rescue Shuaibu from the well proved abortive and as
a result, the Lagos State Fire Service was contacted
and the remains of Shuaibu was eventually removed
from the well.
An eyewitness who claimed anonymity noted thus;
“It was in the morning. The three of them were
digging the well, which was for the owner of a two
storey-building in the community.
“At a point, he became tired and got trapped in the
well. People tried to remove him, but they could
not.”
According to the Lagos State Fire Service Public
Relations Officer, Amodu Sakiru, the Ikorodu Fire
Station acted upon a distress call it got from
residents of the area, adding that the remains of
Shuaibu has been handed over to Police Officers
from the Ikorodu division.
The deceased, according to the Director of Lagos
State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe inhaled ammonia
gas.
Fadipe affirmed, “He must have inhaled ammonia
gas, which usually makes the victim get dizzy and
weak. And that was how he got trapped.
“We have held meetings with their association to
always inform us whenever they want to dig a well.
We do not mind providing them with breathing
apparatus. This is because in every well, there is
ammonia gas.
He further added, “Secondly, they are supposed to
have a rope that they will tie to themselves which
their colleagues can easily use to pull them up in the
event of an emergency. Also, wells have different
textures which determine the level of danger those
digging the well are exposed to.”
